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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Five Don'ts of Long-Distance Relationships

Relationships can be difficult when couples live in the same town, but adding distance between the lovebirds adds a whole new set of complications. When I was dating a soldier who was stationed on a base in another town and eventually deployed for a year, I learned firsthand the trials and tribulations of long distance relationships. I'm sure we did some things right, but it soon became clear that there were also many things we were doing wrong. From that experience, I learned five don'ts that will help long distance couples survive and thrive despite the miles between them.

Don't put your life on hold. It's easy to put your life on hold because you don't want to miss an opportunity to talk to your long distance partner or even because you feel bad having your own life without her. But in the end, it's more important that you each lead a full life that you can share with each other than to build your life around intermittent phone calls and chats. You can always schedule in time for chats or exchange emails and text messages, but opportunities to continue developing your own life might pass you by if you don't take advantage of them.

Don't become overly suspicious.

When you are not able to see your partner all the time, you might find yourself slipping into a state of perpetual suspicion. Yes, sometimes infidelity is a choice that long distance couples unfortunately end up making, but chances are, most of the behaviors you are suspicious about are perfectly innocent. Your partner will appreciate being given the benefit of the doubt as long as he continues to deserve it!